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Comparison between Achilles and Odyssey
Epic hero charcteristics
Comparison between Achilles and Odyssey
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In classical Greek literature, the epic hero is usually defined in terms of the contrasting characters of Achilles and Odysseus, the most important figures in Homer's great epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey. Achilles, the greatest warrior of the Greeks in the Trojan war, is actually a demi-god rather than a human hero, having been dipped in charmed waters by his mother and given the gift of invulnerability. Odysseus, on the other hand, is a fully human character, and his heroism consists more in his cleverness, boldness and cunning than his martial ability. The contrast between these two models of the epic hero could not be stronger, for although Achilles is godlike and almost immortal in his fighting prowess, he is childish and petulant in his personality; even in the moment of his greatest triumph he lacks the nobility and generosity we expect of a truly great hero. The "man of many ways" Odysseus, however, rises above his purely human limitations to achieve a much greater destiny, triumphing over the dangers of war and wandering to come home to his wife and family. The more unpleasant aspects of Achilles' character are brought home to us shortly after we first encounter him in The Iliad, when he quarrels with Agamemnon over the possession of a concubine. Before the assembled Greek leaders, Achilles complains that he never gets his fair share of the prizes, that the Achaians do not give him sufficient honor, and that he is weary of fighting the Trojans, "since to me they have done nothing" (Lattimore, 1967:63). When Agamemnon decides to teach him a lesson and take his concubine Briseis from him, Achilles has a fit of temper and warns all the Greeks that they will be sorry they did not cater to his whims: "And then y... ... middle of paper ... ...es and Odysseus, must always be a brave and powerful warrior and a loyal friend to those he loves. Achilles is far more limited in his range of feeling than Odysseus, but within that narrow range he finally acquits himself honorably. Odysseus, the great "everyman" hero of classical literature, seeks the widest range of experience and adventure possible, but finally triumphs over life by returning to the comforts of home and family. References Lattimore, Richmond. The Iliad of Homer. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1967. Lattimore, Richmond. The Odyssey of Homer. New York: Harper and Row, 1968. Achilles and Odysseus-- Compares the protagonist of Homer's Iliad with that of the Odyssey as epic heroes; the importance of the virtues of strength, bravery and loyalty to the Greeks is remarked upon. 5p., 9f., 2b.
hroughout the Iliad Achilles shows how the ego of a Kardashian is being portrayed and the emotional maturity of an eight-year-old because of the certain adult qualities he lacks, for example: he does not work well with others, he lacks the concept of forgiveness, he is selfish, thinks highly of his self without regard to others, being rude and unkind, aggressiveness when talking to others, and having too much pride and not thinking about the consequences of his actions and how it can affect not only him but others as well. Achilles does not like to work with others he prefers to be the one in charge of everybody and he likes for everyone to do as he says. In the Iliad Agamemnon says, "This man wants to be ahead of everyone else he wants to rule everyone and give orders to everyone" (1.302-303). Achilles and Agamemnon are having an argument amongst one another because no one wants to give Achilles the honor he feels that he deserves for being the best fighter in the war and for all the blood sweat and tears he shed while defeating the Trojans "he is a mighty bulwark in this evil war" as Nestor says.
There are numerous heroes throughout “The Odyssey,” but none of them are as significant as Odysseus. “The Odyssey” is a narrative poem written by Homer (around 800 and 600 BCE) to show the numerous adventures and experiences Odysseus goes through. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus a prominent Greek epic hero is on a quest to return back to his home in Ithaca; to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Just like real life, not all heroes are picture-perfect; they all have imperfections. In this case, Odysseus is sometimes insolent, and discourteous; but he is still considered an epic hero because of the many heroic qualities he endures. Odysseus proves himself to be an outstanding hero in various ways such as showing loyalty, intelligence, bravery, strength, and courage which are all some of the most momentous qualities found in a hero. If a true hero can prove they are a true hero, makes them a true hero.
The question has been raised as to whether or not Odysseus, the hero of Homers The Odyssey, is an epic hero. An epic Hero portrays many classic properties, including being very strong and courageous. Odysseus is an epic hero, because he portrays many of these and other traits, such as having a goal that is foremost in his mind, and having descended into the underworld.
Despite gaining this knowledge and being dismayed by these self-pitying comments of Achilles, Odysseus contemplates foolishly engaging his fate in battle. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus, lives a complex life. His personal issues and accomplishments tend to conflict, and he best copes with his many different struggles. Lord Mansfield once said, “Consider what you think justice requires, and decide accordingly. But never give your reasons; for your judgment will probably be right, but your reasons will certainly be wrong.”
The Odyssey, written by Homer, details the dismal voyage home of a Greek Hero, Odysseus; returning from the Trojan War. Plagued by bad luck; the gods hindered Odysseus’ return to Ithaca and in return, he was away from his homeland for twenty years. Odysseus was considered a Modern Greek hero. He was thoughtful, resourceful and respectful of the gods. If we compare Odysseus to Achilles, another Greek hero, most of their traits are similar, they shared in their sense of duty, courage and bravery. However, Achilles was more impulsive than Odysseus and did not contemplate the consequences of his actions. He was solely motivated by his need for vengeance. Even though Achilles had extraordinary strength and a close relationship with the gods, he still seemed less than heroic. He possessed all the abilities to be a great warrior and was portrayed as the greatest warrior in the Greek army yet his flaws constantly hindered his capability to act with decency and honour. He could not control his pride or rage which ultimately affected his actions. An example of this is when Achilles prayed to the gods that the Trojans would slaughter the Greeks because of the indecency shown to him by King Agamemnon. Part of him desired to live a long, easy life, but he knew that his personal fate forced him to choose between living a long life and his name forgotten after a few generations; or a short life, lived with honour and glory. Ultimately, Achilles was willing to sacrifice his life so that his name would be rememb...
In “Homer’s” epic poem the “Odyssey”, Odysseus the epic hero and the protagonist of the epic poem, falls into a series of trials and tribulations on his odyssey from Troy, the site of the Trojan War, to his home and his rightful throne in Ithaca. Despite the presence of divine intervention throughout the “Odyssey”, the trials and tribulations he faces throughout his odyssey from Troy to Ithaca are due to his own choices. This can be seen in the characteristics of an Epic Hero that Odysseus contains, and the necessity for divine intervention. An epic hero is a larger than life character that embodies the ideals of a specific race or culture. He displays’s values such as immense courage and strength, evident in the fact that he survived the various trials and tribulations of his odyssey.
Homer's two central heroes, Odysseus and Achilles, are in many ways differing manifestations of the same themes. While Achilles' character is almost utterly consistent in his rage, pride, and near divinity, Odysseus' character is difficult to pin down to a single moral; though perhaps more human than Achilles, he remains more difficult to understand. Nevertheless, both heroes are defined not by their appearances, nor by the impressions they leave upon the minds of those around them, nor even so much by the words they speak, but almost entirely by their actions. Action is what drives the plot of both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and action is what holds the characters together. In this respect, the theme of humanity is revealed in both Odysseus and Achilles: man is a combination of his will, his actions, and his relationship to the divine. This blend allows Homer to divulge all that is human in his characters, and all that is a vehicle for the idyllic aspects of ancient Greek society. Accordingly, the apparent inconsistencies in the characterization of Odysseus can be accounted for by his spiritual distance from the god-like Achilles; Achilles is more coherent because he is the son of a god. This is not to say that Achilles is not at times petty or unimaginative, but that his standards of action are merely more continuous through time. Nevertheless, both of Homer's heroes embody important and admirable facets of ancient Greek culture, though they fracture in the ways they are represented.
The main character of the Odyssey, Odysseus the King of Ithaca is given a complex personality to an extent where it is hard to identify whether he is a true hero or not. True heroism is only achieved when a person achieves certain qualities that portray heroism. Odysseus is not a hero based on the standards of merciful, selfless, and gentle because of his actions of sacrificing his men, killing the suitors and being ruthless throughout the Odyssey. Along with many others qualities these three are helpful and necessary in a hero. A hero must be willing to do service for others and put the needs of others safety and protection before his own. Odysseus does not even come close to matching these qualities because he is a person, who only serves of himself, and he sacrifices his allies to achieve his goals and often he takes action ruthlessly.
The idea of a true hero is varied from person to person, because each viewpoint has a different idea of the personality that makes one a hero. There have been many fiction and non-fiction heroes that show different character traits, which influence people’s definitions of a hero. However, each person’s unique thought about a hero still focuses about one central idea: a hero must prove himself in order to earn his heroic status. This is the cornerstone of all the opinions about heroes because heroes have to show their heroism in order to become who they are in the end. At the beginning they are inexperienced, ordinary people who go on their adventures, and face their fears and weaknesses, but they develop greatly throughout these journeys. After comprehending what true heroism is and following it only then will they become heroes even though each of them has different traits. In the epic poem The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus gains the title of hero during his journey back to Ithaka, from Troy, by proving to be one. It is through his characteristics and experiences that he becomes the well developed man at the end of the book. In truth, because of his confidence, loyalty, and difficult struggles, Odysseus becomes a genuine hero to the people he defended.
“A virtuous person is better than virtue and a vicious person is worse than vice,” Hazrat Ali says. Odysseus, in the Odyssey, contains many virtuous characteristics, which include Wisdom, piety, self-control, courage, and justice. Unlike Odysseus, Achilles, in “Troy”, involve hubris acts. Therefore, these characters are completely different from each other. After reading both the Odyssey and watching “Troy”, one can sense a strong understanding between the two character’s virtues.
The epic poem The Odyssey, written by Homer, centers around the main protagonist Odysseus and his long journey back home. Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, returns home after defeating the Trojans in a ten year war. On his way back, he angers Poseidon, god of the sea, by blinding his son, Polyphemus the Cyclops. Due to Odysseus’ actions, Poseidon refuses to let Odysseus reach home, and Odysseus and his crew are forced to go through a series of obstacles throughout the epic. Through this adversity, Odysseus must show his heroic attributions in order to survive. Homer portrays Odysseus as a hero by giving him characteristics such as: craftiness, loyalty, and bravery.
The people of today when discovering a new hero always seem interested in being educated about their backstory, their progression, and their true character. They want to be able to relate to these people of popularity for their own self-satisfaction. But for some unknown reason, people enjoy to watch other people fall; it amuses them. The lower part of society is obsessed with the drama that heroes (celebrities) bring along with making their own life decisions. In Mythology and You by Donna Rosenberg and Sorelle Baker, Hercules and Odysseus made ignorant and selfish choices on their way to high heroic success. People of Ancient Greek mythology didn’t seem to value the lives of humans compared to the societies of the modern world, gruesome battles
Achilles is introduced into The Iliad getting into a debacle with the leader of the Greek army, Agamemnon, during the last year of the Trojan War. Achilles starts a quarrel with Agamemnon because he has demanded possession of Achilles’ woman, Briseis, in consolation for having to give up his woman, Chryseis, so that the gods will end their plague upon the Greek soldiers. Achilles does all he can to get his loved one back, but he knows that nothing will waver Agamemnon’s decision. This is when Achil...
The first reason Achilles is an epic hero is because he embodied the characteristics of the ideal Greek citizen at the time Homer wrote; he is in a position of power and regards honor highly. “O my mother! I was born to die young, it is true, but honour I was to have from Zeus, Olympian, thunderer on high! And now he has not given me one little bit! Yes, my lord king Agamemnon has insulted me! He has taken my prize and keeps it, he has robbed me myself” (page 17), Achilles cried to his mother. Agamemnon stole Achilles’ prize, Briseis, so Achilles is begging his mother, the sea nymph Thetis, to help him regain his honor. In Greece, honor was crucial and by taking Achilles’ prize, Agamemnon has stripped him not only of his hard-won prize but of his honor as well. Such a double loss would have been catastrophic for a Greek citizen. Classicist Ian Johnston highlights the significance of his loss, suggesting that “the greatest harm that can occur to a particular warrior is shame, the community’s public recognition that he has let the group down or failed to live up to its shared rules.”Being shamed, in this case, by Agamemnon, would cause the Achaeans to lose respect for Achilles, and as one of their leaders, this would be a tragedy for him. Achilles’ desire to regain his honor sho...
An analysis of The Iliad and The Odyssey show us that Achilles and Odysseus do have several qualities in common, but that they also have numerous makings that show the differences between the two epic heroes. Both of these men are very violent and kill in very vicious was, they are also very emotionally immature, and finally both Achilles and Odysseus are favored by Athena. With all those features in common they also have several things that make themselves stand out from each other. First off, their mindset is very different. Achilles is very linear minded; he doesn’t beat around the bush and gets straight to the point of why he wants to fight. On the other hand, Odysseus is much more deceptive and cunning; he is very strategic and is almost more powerful with how he makes you think and act towards him. Next, their reasons for fighting are very different. Achilles is fighting because it’s his destiny and it’s what he has to do, Odysseus is fighting to get home to his family whom he hasn’t seen in several years. Finally, their homecomings make these two characters very different. Achilles never does get a homecoming, he dies at the walls of Troy as he is fighting. Odysseus, in contrast does end up coming home to his wife and son, that is, after he fights off the suitors that